poetry by j matthew waters

burning down the church

the church caught fire
soon after midnight
awakening the entire
sleepy little town
there wasn’t enough
water to extinguish
the insatiate flames climbing
past the steeple
eyewitnessed by those
trickling in from blocks away
one tanker
two tankers
three tankers arrived
sirens screaming for attention
fluorescent wings giving directions
night gave way to dusk
bird calls beginning to be heard
above the dwindling din
the sun resurfacing
exposing the ruins and the
worshipers singing
inside this town
and the next